Anke Berghaus-Sprengel-Director of University and Landes Library Saxony-Anhalt, Chair of the Association of German Librarians (VDB)

Professional background & career.

My first job in a library was in the restoration department after training as a bookbinder at the Suub Hamburg. There I was busy with the restoration of the Uffenbach-Wolf letter collection for two years and then came to the bookbindery. I got to know the specialist work because I regularly helped the specialist officer for history to build up the exhibitions in the house and use the time to learn more about this profession. After a long evening school I completed an external high school and started studying in Hanover.
From the first semester I was responsible for the bookbinding programs as a student assistant in the social sciences branch and then received a project point to record the titles of the library in Pica.

After reaching the master's degree, I went to Paris for two years in order not to complete the dissertation, but to apply to the central and state library in Berlin as a legal trainee because the money was assumed in Paris. Berlin was exciting, I learned a lot in the ZLB and after the conclusion of the legal clerkship I learned to start the ZLB into the association of public libraries, which I later led for some time.
After the freelance project activity, the ZLB took me over as head of the IT department, which made me a lot for several years. From there I applied to the library of the Humboldt University and headed the branch libraries there. The focus here was on the merging of locations and the automation of work processes (Grimm Center, RFID, Alma). The years were not entirely stress-free because I had received two children in the meantime, one in the legal clerkship and the next with the start of the IT management in the ZLB. But it was feasible because my husband always actively supported me and the care in Berlin was always well organized.
In 2016 there was an opportunity to take over the management of the Saxony-Anhalt State Library. The library with its collections and the extensive old stock again provided new tasks and still ensures that I never get bored.

Here learned more about the University and Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt (Ulb Saxony-Anhalt).
Photo credits ANKE BERGHAUS-Sprengel: © Ulb Saxony-Anhalt / Markus Scholz

Personal experiences.

Libraries live from changing. The library community is closely networked and supports itself across the house. This network is promoted with conferences, such as the bibliocon that I, as chair of the Association of German Librarians, has been promoted for many years.
I appreciate that the work in libraries is characterized by interaction and the feedback from the users: inside us again and again.

Meaning & added value.

As Ulb Saxony-Anhalt, we would like to try
to bring our knowledge in use if possible. Good research offers are necessary for this, which is why we are in the GBV network. As possible, we digitize all copyright -free materials, inferior to where you can with full texts and provide them in the Open Access.
Training in different qualification levels is very important to us, many of our employees are very committed here.

Recommendations.

I think it is helpful when the people who work in libraries are curious and human -friendly. Willingness to learn and change cannot hurt. I think everyone who is really interested in their/their work will sooner or later will be successful. However, it probably helps to actively express wishes and interests from time to time.

Developments & future prospects.

The consciousness about the value of data and data protection will take more space and the handling of data becomes more sensitive. The AI ​​developments accelerate the need for data sovereignty. Libraries have an important task here.

I also hope that libraries will promote and demand administrative digitization in their houses, and there is still a lot to do here. 

I appreciate that the work in libraries is characterized by interaction and the feedback from the users: inside us again and again.